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Fort Lauderdale boat show turns marina work into money week

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show shows how marinas, yacht work, hotels, restaurants, docks, and visitors can become a statewide money story.

Fort Lauderdale’s boat show is a good reminder that Florida water is not only scenery. It is also a workplace. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show brings boats, brokers, builders, crews, hotels, restaurants, drivers, dock work, and marine tech into one busy week.

Recent show information put the event near 90 acres, with more than 1,300 vessels and more than 1,000 exhibitors. It also tied the show to a large statewide economic impact. Those numbers help explain why Fort Lauderdale leans so hard into its yachting identity. The canals and marinas are part of the city’s business map, not just the view.

If you go during show week, check dates, tickets, traffic, water taxi options, and parking before you leave. Even if you are not buying a boat, the event shows how a Florida waterfront can run like a trade floor.

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